Biz & IT —

Microsoft dewires Portland

Microsoft has signed a deal that will see the software giant sponsoring a …

City-wide wireless networks are all the rage these days, even if some efforts launch with a sizzle rather than a bang, and others never seem to get past the talking stage. Microsoft is putting its money where its mouth is by helping sponsor a deal with MetroFi to bring free, ad-supported wireless Internet access across the city of Portland, Oregon.

In return for their undisclosed investment, Microsoft gets to supply "locally relevant MSN content and services" to the network, handles all advertising on the network through Microsoft adCenter, and gets a Windows Live Search bar in a prominent position on user's screens (free access to the WiFi network comes with a one-inch high banner ad across the top of every web site, plus third-party advertising, but users can eliminate the ads for a charge of $20 per month).

Microsoft joins Google in the city-wide WiFi-sponsoring party, as the latter company already operates a free network in Mountain View, California (the site of its headquarters) and is in talks to sponsor the proposed Earthlink network in San Francisco.